Meet the band - Dinosaur Pile-Up

They are an alternative rock band formed in late 2007, hailing from Leeds, England. The band is currently a trio comprising of lead singer and guitarist Matt Bigland, drummer Mike Sheils and bassist Jim Cratchley. We caught up with the excited band on their first visit to India for a gig. “Our association with India is all about the music scene out there. We’ve heard that there is a passionate and exciting music scene, more specifically, rock music scene. And that’s where we fit in,” says Matt Bigland. As for how the name came about, Matt recalls watching the Peter Jackson remake of King Kong. “It was stupid, as you’d expect. In one part, there was a stampede of dinosaurs and humans which eventually tumbles down a mountain and ends up in a pile-up of dinosaurs. I left the cinema and joked that I’d name my next band Dinosaur Pile-Up. And here we are,” smirks Matt.On their a-ha moment: Matt says, “The greatest moment for us so far was playing at a festival in Tokyo earlier this year, and rocking to 8,000 people. We were really pumped about that. Let’s see if India can top it!” The change in line-up is another big moment as the band is doing great with its current members. Having Mike and Jim join the band has set the band in stone, both live and personally, feels Matt. “However, being in a band can be a lot of hard work, and sometimes there can be just as many bad times as there are good times. You’ve gotta know that the guys in your band are in it just as much as you are. You’re in it together. And I think that’s where Jim, Mike and I are at. We are very close,” he adds.On their influences: A lot of the 90s American guitar rock, grunge and heavy metal is key to the band. Bands like the Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, early Foo Fighters records, Deftones, Rage Against The Machine. However, a lot of earlier pop and early heavy metal are in their foundation — The Beatles, The Kinks, The Beach Boys, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath. “It’s a mixing pot of rock for the Dinosaurs,” says Matt.On their brand of music: Matt says he always struggles to answer this question because he hates to put a title on it. “Hard rock can be many things. Whatever it is, I always feel comforted knowing that what we’re doing is genuinely rocking — the real deal,” he says. As soon as Matt realised that he wanted to write rock music, the sound became more concrete. The first record was heavy and Nature Nurture, their current album still has that heavy side, but it also grew into something bigger, and something more exciting and mature. Matt adds, “There's always going to be a mix of heavy metal, hard rock, and earlier 60s pop like The Beatles. It just depends how it manifests itself.”On their way forward: After the India tour, they plan to head straight into studio to make a new, bigger record. And after they've made it, they’re going to play it all over the world, and India is definitely on that list. On Matt’s iPodCovered In Chrome — Violent SohoTire Me — Rage Against The MachinePictures Of Me — Elliott SmithBlack Rat — DZ DeathraysZero — Smashing Pumpkins